Why is the field for filenames in the macOS in-app dialog box so small?

Question

Why is the field for filenames in the macOS in-app dialog box so small?

Just curious, can anyone explain to me why the field for filenames in the macOS in-app dialog box is so small? It feels like it was designed to fit DOS filenames and has just never changed. You can drag the window out to fit the width of your massive display, but that little field just stubbornly insists on showing you no more than 36 characters.

Every time I go to save or export a doc in InDesign or whatever, I have to tap to the end to make adjustments. I just wish I could see the whole filename. There's room for it to expand! Is there some limitation or use case I'm not thinking of?

Not a major problem, sure, but certainly an annoying one. :)

Posted on Jun 15, 2023 11:03 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Chattanoogan

Level 7

23,628 points

Jun 16, 2023 5:49 AM in response to Apostropher Royal

This is the type of user feedback Apple solicits and welcomes at:

Product Feedback - Apple

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Answer 2

Jun 18, 2023 8:51 PM in response to Chattanoogan

Yep, thanks. I do submit feedback from time to time, but as Apple never reply, I was mostly curious if anyone had any speculation/insight as to why it was so narrow when long filenames are so common. Have none of the developers at Apple ever been annoyed by cutoff filenames and thought hey mayyyyyybe we could make that field a little wider? I'm no coder, but doesn't seem like it should be that difficult, hey? [set width] to x+10 oh wow 90 characters! ;)

Anyway, if it's been this way since forever, I'm not sure how much luck I'll have, but will submit and who knows?

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Answer 3

ku4hx

Level 7

23,454 points

Jun 19, 2023 5:11 AM in response to Apostropher Royal

9 characters with DOS and windows was small. But now I can use waaaaayyyyy more characters and that's HUGE to me. Too many characters in a file name and you get into situations where to see the full name you have to hide data in the right side panel of Finder.

I find the number nowadays quite adequate; generous in fact.

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Answer 4

Jun 19, 2023 5:26 AM in response to Apostropher Royal

You will note that the Save As input field is not fixed, but will automatically scroll to the left as your entry exceeds the viewport size. It is exactly as Apple chose to design the Cocoa NSSavePanel framework that is used for that window.

Growing up on UNIX operating systems, I never acquired the taste for filenames as sentences… 😉

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Answer 5

Jun 20, 2023 10:11 PM in response to VikingOSX

Sure, the input field isn't fixed in place, but my issue is that it never changes size. No matter how wide the Save As panel is, how much room there is either side, the field remains fixed at that relatively tiny width. Even if you shrink the panel down to its minimum size, there is still so much available space that could be used to make the filename field wider (and with no apparent downside).

What I don't understand is why Apple—whose OS allows for long filenames—chose to make the default (and only) size for that field so narrow. Their engineers/developers obviously settled on that width for a reason, but I can't imagine what it would have been.

I grew up using DOS, so I had a short filename mindset for years, and when I switched to Mac it was like running out into an open field! So much room to run! I agree that sentences for filenames isn't good, but it is nice to have the option on occasion. Now if only I could see more than 10% of that filename in my window! 😀

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